By Jim Clanin
As technology continues to evolve, the only thing you can count on is continuous change in web design trends. Demands for better user experience increases with better technology and newer devices being used to view websites. As a business owner, it’s important to remember that your website is your first sales pitch, and keeping the design and content fresh is critical for you to compete. Read on to learn which web design trends are fading and if you should consider refreshing your website design.
Complex 3D Designs
The mantra “less is more” couldn’t be more true in today’s day and age. Flat design is the new trend of the minimalist approach due to the enormous surge in mobile Internet usage. Because mobile devices have smaller screen sizes, website designers must consider how to better display text, images, and navigation menus. A minimalistic approach fits better with mobile screen sizes while offering an elegant design.
Overly fancy 3D designs have become distracting compared to the clean and simple flat design that is engaging and makes visitors want to stay longer. Items such as buttons and shapes no longer include shadows, but instead are flat with solid colors. Menus are more often simpler as well, with subtle elements. Notice the flat elements in the Geckoboard website. A good example of minimalistic design is Apple’s website.
Text Dominant Websites
Users now want more visual stimulation and less text when viewing websites which has businesses prioritizing images and video in their marketing plans more and more. Videos are much easier and less expensive to produce than in previous years, and images are easy to come by with stock or professionals photography options. Check out The University of Sydney’s website for some amazing visual stimulation.
Lots of Pages
More and more web designers are moving towards longer web pages that allows the user to scroll to find information rather than using a menu to view various pages.
Scrolling designs have faster load times and provide a more dynamic user experience. Scrolling design also works really well with responsive design.
Stock Photos
Companies are steering away from generic, overused, and cheesy stock photos and instead are using high quality, professional photography that represents their brand well. Telling the story of your product, brand, or company effectively should be done with genuine, high-quality images. Check out Eye Heart World for great a great example of photography.
Simple Typography
In the past, many websites defaulted to using a simple serif font, but more recently web designers are going bold with fancier sans-serif typography. A sans-serif font gives websites an elegant touch that works well on a minimalist design. With millions of new websites being created each year, an interesting font can add the perfect touch.
Mobile Versions
Web designers used to create two versions of websites in order to create a visually stimulating design for the desktop version, and a simpler easier to load version for mobile devices. That trend has been replaced by responsive design, which means that the website design seamlessly changes depending on what size screen it is being viewed on. Responsive design is now the new standard for web design.
Does your business website contain any of these aging design trends? If so, give us a call. DoubleDome has helped countless businesses update their website design. Call us at 888-799-6067 or fill out our consultant contact form for more information.
